Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1887-01-22
H0RNBLOWER HALL.

HORNBLOW=ER HALL
aI'm almost certain that she ha:
got story" said Fanny Tullan.-
"I can see it in the expression o
her face. I only wish had courage
to ask her al,outit."
1t was dull, rainy day-one O
the bleak premonitors of the equl
noctial storm-and us there was
not much doing at tho store, the
girls took lougerthan usualat thell
lunch.
Fanny sat on packing box
turned upside down, under the
stairway that led down to the ship
ping room, slowly mnnchlng bel
soda-crackers and smoked beef,and
Ella Hay, her companion at the
kid glove counter, was nestled al
her feet. eating bread and butter
and raspberry jam, with the heart
lest OF appctites.
Atthe same moment, MISS We
roma, the cashier, came lightly
down the stairs Ill her dark-blut
serge gown, and her satin-browI
braids of llairshiningin the obliqnt
light of the dusk dimmed window
She caught Fanny'S last sentences
and nauSed abruptly.
s.To ask ,m?" said she. "Wht
has got as,
And Fanny spurred on by a sud
den upward blaze of courage, an
swered:
"You!"
Miss Verona smiled. In response
her face was cold and grave; ba
when it lighted up with that rar.
smile, it was absolutely beautiful
Instead OF being offended, how
ever, she sat cheerfully dow
On tile other half OF the packing
box.
aYou are right, Miss Tullans
said she. II have got a story, els
lznever should have been IN t ftMl9:
store. i wasn't brought up o!Y soI!s
AZ; ara az. aon,t Ike to sitsbe hlast
night any better tff.sii se5t pre-
do" s:;;:; Il q,
Fanny Tnllan's great, gray eyes
opened wide.
"Oh, Miss veron," said she.
'swon't you tell to us7D
"Of course l WILL" said the cash
Ter. "Why shouldn't II You were
very kind to me, Fanny Tullan,
when first | came, lonesome and in
to the store. 1t would
be hard indeed if couldn't do as
much to please and amuse you."
Tho rain battered against the
dust blurred window; the wind,
around the corner, made
4 miniature maeIstrom of shayings
and bits of paper in the brick Shaft
Which afforded the only prospect;
aud Fanny Tullan and her friend,
Miss Hay, crept up closer to Miss
Verona to hear her words.
"Of course, you lave already sur
missed that [ am reduced LADY,"
said she. ''That goes without say
ing. But you would scarcely have
that [ was once an heir
ess. Hornblower Hall-that was
the name Of the place-a beautiful
old house, down by the sea. Oh, |
loved that house!-and now [ nev-
er shall see it any more.
Her lips quivered; the tears came
into her eyes for a second, and
then she went bravely on:
"But | didn't know until quite
lately that there was a lawsuit
about Hornblower Hall; that some
other branch of the family Beloved
that they had a better right to it
than my mother and /. Mamma
never told me about it; and, luckily
it was not until after her death
that that hateful lawyers letter
came. The letter, | mean, that no
tilted me with a mock respect that
was worse than any amount OF
downright insult would have
been, that Hornblower Hall be-
logged to my fourth or fifth cousin
instead of me. There was some
thing in it about my not being dis
turbed in the occupancy, if itsuited
me to remain, but l could listen to
no such belittling proposition as
that. l tore the letter into pieces
and packed my personal belong
ings into one little trunk and came
away. I took refuge with a rela
tive of my mother, who lives, in &
very quiet way, on Dalston street
and it WAS she that helped me tc
get this situation; and there Is my
story"
aThe beginning" said Faeny
Tullan, nibbling up the last crumt
of her lunch, "but not the end.n
"Why not the end'"
ooh, because you'll see that tht
end will be that you'll somehow g
back to Hornblower Hall and tn,
cousin will be q stately, dark eye
aristocrat, who Will fail headlon'
in love with you at first sight,
nodded FANNY
Miss Verona laughed in spite Q
herse f
"Then he may fall out again,
said she. There goes the bell.
must get back to work-and S
must yon children; the fairy stor
is over; the work-a day hour is be
ginning once more"
| IL was still raining hard whc